The Life of a Flower
by voluptuous-nothings
Summary: This story follows the adventures and tribulations faced by fourth-year St. Miator transfer, Oshiro Serin. Plotting as I go. Maturity Level subject to change. Pairings yet to be decided.
1. Impressions

_Author's Note: _

_Hey everyone! I've been lurking on FF.N for a while now, and decided to finally make my own account and start writing. I haven't written very many fanfics before, and though I've roleplayed, most of it has been entirely OC/non-canon. This is just an intro, to hopefully the start of something long-term, or at least worth reading. It follows my newly-created OC, Serin, in her adventures on Astraea Hill. Bear with me, I'm trying my best! Thanks for reading! xo_

* * *

The trek uphill wasn't going to be an easy one.

Hues of emerald wove through the irises that scanned the landscape that lay before them. The surrounding wooded area was thick with foliage: beautiful plants and flowers, and trees that loomed larger than life, stretching upwards, reaching towards the sun. Nature closed in on every side, untouched by man's hand, freely occupying space and land. Luckily, a road was cleared, making for easier transportation to the top of the remote Astraea Hill. Was it not for the road, reaching the top of the hill would be a trip of madness.

The ride coming here had been pleasant, though a bit too quiet. Though the atmosphere within the vehicle was calm, the nerves inside fourth-year Oshiro Serin made her hands shiver in her lap. She'd attempted to make small talk with her driver, but only after five minutes did she realize her attempts were in vain, and she was left to her own thoughts. Although the outside surroundings were a blurry mess of colors, she discovered that the landscape grew more beautiful as they became closer to their destination. Questions richocheted off the inside of her skull, bouncing every which way. Transferring to a new school during her fourth year wasn't the wisest decision, but it wasn't necessarily her choice: it just had to be. She had exhaled quietly, numerous times, shifting in the backseat due to the uncomfort that her nervousness entailed.

As if nerves wracking her body weren't enough, Serin discovered (to her definite dismay) that, instead of being dropped off at the gates at the top of Astraea Hill as she'd originally expected, she was to be left at the foot of the hill. This caused her great distress, and her emerald eyes widened and were pooled with great confusion as the driver stopped where he did, and explained to her that men weren't allowed foot (nor any other bodily part, for that matter) on Astraea Hill. She'd thrown a bit of a fit, mostly because she was already lost enough without having to find her way all the way up the hill to the school she'd now be attending, and the day _was_ a bit warm - what would people think if she arrived sweating and disheveled? The possible embarassment brought horror to her eyes. But, it wasn't in her control, and the driver wasn't about to be arrested for trespassing on forbidden land. Not for a little girl, no matter how indebted he was to her family. So, with a voice of hopeless surrender, she'd thanked him and exited the car, slinging her bag on her shoulder and watching the last ties to her home disappear down the road. Then, apprehensively, she'd turned around the face the hill, and her spirits had fallen with the sight of how far a walk it was going to be.

Now, she hiked up the road, the girl's small frame silhouetted by the light of a beaming, promising sun. Various shades of chestnut brown to light honey blonde reflected on the medium-length, fairly straight locks of the miserable girl. Though her hair still fell neatly about her shoulders, she swore she could feel her it becoming limp with the weight of the heat that the sun pressed down upon her. Her light blue sundress did well in keeping her cool, as it flowed loosely about her figure, but she still felt as though she was stifling within her own peachy, cream-coloured skin. "It's too warm..." She whined, but the sun didn't seem to be listening, and if it was, it didn't care. Though it was the end of September, the cold autumn weather had yet to roll in, leaving the lingering warmth of summer to stay until taken over. Serin stopped for a moment, raising her head slightly to gather how far she'd come, or how far she still needed. Her spirits fell as she saw the top of a church peeking over the treetops, still very far away. _"So far to go..."_ She thought, her head falling back down, eyes directed to the pavement below her. She exhaled deeply: it was already 5 P.M., at this rate, she'd never make it before dark. Serin cursed several things under her breath: her gutless driver and the large proximity of Astraea Hill among them. She had no choice, though, so she trudged on, her heels clacking silently against the cement underneath her feet.

After only minutes of her journey had passed, the brunette girl heard the sound of a vehicle approaching. The hair on the back of Serin's neck rose, and she felt her body tensing apprehensively: if years of living in a city had taught anyone anything, it was to be weary of cars approaching you - especially if they slowed down as they approached. Serin continued walking, keeping her pace steady, though her left hand clenched the strap of her bag tightly. It was an entirely different matter if the car meant to continue on its way, but she easily heard it slowing in speed as it came closer. Her emerald eyes flickered to the right, eyeing the foliage that filled the space on both sides of the wide, empty asphalt road. Thoughts began to run wildly through her head, as Serin's mind considered the options of things she could do, lest she be attacked. They jumped on and hounded one another like hungry dogs to a feast, making chaos of the young girl's thought processes. _"You've done a wonderful job, Serin."_ She thought, _"You're going to die here, and no one will be none the wiser. No, no one will ever know. The school will think you've just rejected your transfer: they'll void your transcripts, and you will have never been a student here. Mother and Father will think you're safely on Astraea, studying, but in reality, you'll be dead. No one will know..."_ She eyed the foliage again, catching brilliant hues of green in the leaves of the bushes and trees that thrived lusciously from the undisturbed soil. Her mind now opted to admire how beautiful the hill really was. The nature here was wonderful: maybe it wouldn't be so bad to rot amongst the beauty of the nature that adorned this place. _"Would that make me as wonderful...?"_

Serin's mind had ran to such a faraway place, that she now had to snap her attention back, remembering the car that was now, she inhaled sharply, driving slowly beside her. Her eyes blinked in surprise - why wasn't she dead yet? She froze in her tracks. The sleek, black car also stopped, a moment after the apprehensive fourth-year. Her jaw clenched, and she turned to face the car, only to realize the tinted rear window had been rolled down about halfway, to reveal the vehicle's dark interior - and the occupant of the backseat. Serin stepped forward, though nervously, to get a better look at the person inside. Her eyes caught a glimpse of sunlight glinting on long, lavish locks of silver, which extended down the stranger's torso, and fell well past the person's shoulders. The backseat occupant was obviously a girl: if it couldn't be told from the thick, luscious strands of hair, it was easily seen by the stranger's physique. Serin's cheeks flushed with a blushing color at her informal observation, though she justified it with the fact that, in the dim interior of the car, she couldn't quite make sense of the stranger's facial features.

"Hello." A voice, as soft as velvet, as smooth as silk, wound its way from the occupant's lips, to Serin's ears. It flowed about her mind, seeming to blend with the warmth of the September evening and pulse through Serin's body, relaxing her and putting her nerves to rest. But, it also seemed to spike her nerves even higher, and she clenched the strap of her bag even tighter, her knuckles becoming white with the pressure. It took a moment for Serin to realize that she'd lingered on the stranger's spoken word for so long, that she hadn't responded in return. How long had she just stood there, staring?

"H-hello!" She sputtered, after moments of silent stupor on her part. _"You're really out-doing yourself today, Serin. You don't even know this person, yet you're staring at her so rudely, like a brute."_ Serin cursed herself on her impression, so informally and rudely gluing her eyes on the stranger, and disgustingly spewing out a stuttered response. She bit her bottom lip, her anxiety getting the better of her. Her mind began running again, on what an embarassing image she was making of herself. Her thoughts were interrupted a second later.

"Are you a student?" The voice flowed from the confines of the vehicle again, sending warmth and anxiety simultaneously surging through the green-eyed girl's veins. It was so smooth, and without flaw, that Serin found herself leaning over considerably trying to see if the clarity of the voice matched the appearance of it's owner. She blinked, realizing what she was doing, but before she could correct herself, she found that by leaning as she did, she now had a view of the stranger she was speaking to. Or, rather, the stranger that was speaking to her. And, as her green eyes met with those of a matching color, yet darker, Serin found she couldn't step away. Or, rather, she didn't want to. The stranger's skin was pale, though without flaw, as her voice; and her face was framed delicately by the locks of shining silver Serin had caught at first glance. Their eyes were of the same color, Serin noticed: yet this girl's wear a forest green, and Serin's own were of a richer, more leafy looking shade. A basic green, whilst this girl's seemed to have a hint of topaz. Serin seemed mesmerized, and it was only when the stranger moved back slightly that she inhaled sharply, and moved back as well, her face showing she was clearly ashamed.

"I'm, uhm, sorry." Serin averted her eyes, knowing fully well she wasn't doing any better to improve her impression upon this girl. Moving her head to look at the girl once more, she nodded, still as nervous as ever. "Yeah- uh, yes, I mean..." Serin stopped, holding her breath for a second, pulling a face as though she was very frustrated with herself - and she was - before exhaling deeply to calm herself. "Yes, if you mean on Astraea Hill, I'm a student." She nodded, and beckoned towards the top of the hill. "I've only just transferred today." She added, but her voice trailed off towards the end, figuring that whoever this was, they didn't need to know.

Serin thought she caught a glimpse of a smirk across the girl's face, but she couldn't be completely sure, for she couldn't see her as well, now that she had stepped back. "Get in," She heard the girl say, and her eyes widened considerably. Serin raised her hands in front of her, palms forward, as if in surrender.

"No, no," She began, "I really have to get to my school at the top, I can't..." Serin trailed off once more, without much idea of what to say. Where would this person take her?

The silver-haired beauty inside of the car was facing forward now, and she smiled, yet it seemed to be mocking. "This road only leads to the top of Astraea." She spoke, stating the fact simply, without elaboration. She had no need to elaborate.

Serin could have slapped herself on the spot, but she figured that would have made her look more ridiculous than she already appeared. She looked to her right, down the road: it looked as though her new acquaintance was speaking the truth - where else would this road lead? Looking back to the girl inside the car, Serin jumped a bit as the girl's eyes moved to meet hers, still smiling with a mocking smirk. Sighing, Serin's face fell, knowing she'd been defeated. _"You're never to get in cars with strangers... That's the first thing anyone teaches you, Serin."_ She thought to herself as she walked around the back of the car, entering on the left side, opposite to where she'd been. Stepping inside, she seated herself, forcing her attention forward, so as to keep herself from staring at the person she'd just met. The car began moving, smoothly driving uphill. A few moments passed, in silence. Serin fiddled with a charm on her bag, which she had placed in her lap.

"So, what is your name?" The silky, smooth voice. She was looking forward, her attention as unattached as Serin's.

The fourth year swallowed as quietly as she could manage, and peered out of the corner of her line of vision at the girl sitting in the backseat beside her. This girl, this woman, was nothing short of beautiful. _"You better not stare.__"_ Serin inhaled slowly. "Tsuki-" She stopped, cutting herself off abruptly, eyes widening slightly. _"You ar__e killing it, Serin. Lovely. Just lovely."_ She cursed under her breath, snapping her head forward and staring intently at the back of the driver's seat.

"Hm?" The silver-haired girl raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways at Serin.

"... Oshiro Serin." The chestnut-brown haired girl corrected herself, exhaling, as if exasperated. "My name is Oshiro Serin." She repeated.

"Serin." The stranger repeated, and this time it was Serin who raised an eyebrow, and glanced sideways at the girl.

_"All formalities, out the window... And yet, she seems so proper..."_ Serin found herself scanning the girl, up and down. The girl was wearing what had to be a school uniform. _"Do she and I attend the same school?"_ She wondered, observing the girl's uniform. Serin blushed noticeably when the object of her sight caught her looking, and returned to looking down at her bag and fiddling with a charm a little too intently. After a moment, she sighed. "And yourself?" She asked, in a tone of voice that seemed to convey that she'd become tired of herself.

"Hanazono Shizuma." The girl replied, as she watched her surroundings pass by through the car door window, her elbow resting on an armest on the interior of the car door.

Serin nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Hanazono-san."

Shizuma's dark, forest green eyes moved to look at the brown-haired girl, without movement of her head. A moment later, she returned to watching the trees and flowers pass by her line of sight through the window, as they drove on towards the top of Astraea Hill.

* * *

_Author's Note: _

_So... That was that! I was in the midst of typing this, and at about 1,400 words my internet crashed, and I had to go back and start again at 800. That's what I get for not saving or at least copying down the edited text and putting it somewhere... _

_Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this. It's not exactly exciting yet, but everyone has to start somewhere, right? Serin's just transferring to St. Miator, and she meets the enthralling Hanazono Shizuma, shoving her foot in her mouth a good amount of times along the way. If you weren't already aware, this is going to be a ShizumaxOC pairing... Other canon characters will be introduced, of course. Thanks for reading, there will be more to come! xo_


	2. Impressions: II

"Thank you again, Hanazono-san."

Serin stood on the pavement at the entrance to Astraea Hill, with respectable distance between herself and her new acquaintance, Hanazono Shizuma. They'd stepped out of the car moments before, and the sleek, black, feline-esque car had driven off, purring smoothly as it made its exit. The voices of maidens buzzed about the courtyard that lay before them.

"Shizuma." The radiant woman spoke, her one word in a very corrective tone.

The grace of her voice still enough to make Serin feel dazed. She was a bit taken aback by the girl's correction, and it was apparent on Serin's face, if only for a moment. But, she recomposed herself, and smiley softly, politely. "Shizuma-san." Serin nodded, taking the girl's correction into order. Still, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. _"She doesn't seem the type to be unformal..."_ This troubled the fourth-year, but she'd speak no more. A few moments passed of silence between the two girls, and it was during this time that Serin noticed her new acquaintance seemed so... Serious. Yes, that was it! Forlorn, and serious. But, it was none of her business; so with a nod and a wave, Serin took her leave, entering the open gateway to Astraea Hill.

Not more than a minute on the compound and Serin was dazzled by everything around her. The nature, the pretty girls, the adorable uniforms! Such beauty! Though she'd come to the hill on a mishap, Serin found herself excited beyond compare. Her green eyes were wide, and glistened with the fascination she felt within her. The hill was lovely, and her heart swelled with eagerness to begin her new year. Her spirits fell a bit within the following moments, though, for she remembered that she was transferring into the beginning of the second term: and catching up with everything that everyone had done during first term would probably prove to be a hassle. She'd heard that her new school, St. Miator Girls' Academy, was nothing less than prestigious.

"Watch me not live up to the expectations for her..." Serin sighed. She was then angry for a second, a look of annoyance passing on her face. It disappeared the next minute though, when she stopped walking, and looked up. Her green eyes widened a bit, and she froze.

_"Why are so many people __staring__!?"_ Serin looked around, and did indeed find many pairs of eyes glancing in her direction. Many girls seemed to whisper and talk among themselves, too, and Serin felt she was quite possibly the subject of their conversations. She looked down at herself, looking at her front, and turning to examine her back, too. _"Do I have something on my dress?"_ No, she wasn't dirty, as far as she could tell. Realizing staying where she was wasn't going to help her, Serin continued walking, at a bit of a faster pace, so as to avoid the gossiping girls around her. _"All I have to do is get inside, find my dormitory, maybe then I'll be fine. You can do this, Serin. You don't need help this time."_

And so she told herself for the next ten minutes, before she found herself lost once more. "Why is this so difficult..." She moaned, her face fallen. She was determined to find things on her own, but after walking straight forward, she'd found herself with a decision: to go right, or left. Initially, she'd chosen to go left, and this didn't help much at all. A second of debating, and she'd given up. Serin looked around, and spotted long, straight, jet black hair.

Approaching the girl, Serin tapped her on the back of her shoulder. "Uhm, excuse me," She started, and the girl turned around to face her. Serin started slightly, catching a face-full of large, bouncing breasts underneath the girl's (very beautiful, Serin noted) uniform. "Uh.." It took a second for Serin to realize that she was most likely staring, with her mouth fallen open just a bit. She jumped, quickly composing herself, her face flushing slightly in her embarrassment.

"Yes?" A look of annoyance seemed to come over on the busty, black-haired girl's face.

_"Oh, she caught me."_ Dejectedly, Serin dropped her eyes, looking away. "I'm sorry," She started, figuring an apology best in order, "But I'm a transfer, and I'd just wanted to know the way to St. Spi- no, St. Miator's Girls' Academy." She nodded, as if reassuring herself of her given information.

The raven-haired girl's expression seemed to soften at Serin's words. "Oh," She spoke, "You're new at St. Miator?" A second later, she smiled. "How interesting..."

"How is that..-" Serin was cut off by the busty girl once more.

"St. Miator gets all the new transfers." The girl smirked, "But, you know, it's already almost curfew..." She said, looking down at her watch. Serin looked down at hers as well. 5:37 P.M. _What was curfew_? But the girl had already started speaking once more. "Hey, Hikari!" She had turned, and was calling someone

_"What the hell!"_ Serin clutched the strap of her bag tightly. There really was no need to introduce her to the entire school... Though she exaggerated, Serin really just wanted to get to where she needed to be. As the black-haired girl called someone over, Serin took the opportunity to admire the girl's uniform. So white, and pristine... _"Will I be able to wear that? Oh, they're so beautiful...!"_

Serin quickly re-assigned her gaze as the girl she was speaking to turned back around. Another girl, wearing the same uniform had approached. This girl was a lot smaller in stature, though, with long, blonde hair that curled daintily at the bottom. Serin's green eyes met those of the blonde girl's: a bright, innocent blue. Serin smiled, bowing slightly in polite acknowledgement to the stranger.

"Hey, Hikari," The black-haired girl spoke, "This girl is a new transfer to Miator." She beckoned towards Serin, who stiffened a bit in response.

The blonde girl, whose name appeared to be Hikari, looked from her raven-headed friend to Serin, a smile spreading acrossing her face. "Another new girl to Miator!" She clasped her hands, her smile lighting up her face. "Welcome to Astraea!" She tilted her head, and Serin smiled slightly. This little girl was cute, like an angel in the form of a doll. "I'm Konohana Hikari, and this is my friend, Yaya-chan." She gestured to the tall, black-haired girl that Serin had first spoken to.

"Nanto Yaya." The black haired girl corrected, her topaz eyes on Serin. "We're both from Spica, the school that's down a ways there." She pointed in the direction that Serin had been walking before she'd spoken to her.

_"So I had been going the wrong direction... I would do that."_ Serin cursed herself within her mind, but looked back up at her two new acquaintances a moment later. "It's nice to meet you both, Konohana-san," She looked at the blue-eyed doll, "and Nanto-san." She returned her gaze slightly upwards at the taller girl, making a point of avoiding lingering on the girl's chest. "I'm Oshiro Serin." She nodded, introducing herself.

The two Spica girls looked at each other for a moment, then giggled. Serin, confused, said nothing. Upon seeing the look on Serin's face, Yaya spoke. "Hikari and Yaya are fine." She said, placing a hand on her hip. "And I hope 'Serin' will be okay for you."

Hikari pulled on Yaya's sleeve. "Yaya-chan, it's already almost curfew..." She said, her voice full of worry. Serin couldn't help but chuckle a bit at Hikari's persona. She seemed so innocent, so... Pure.

Yaya nodded, and looked at Serin. "I think you should come back with us, to Ichigo-sha." She paused before continuing, "You don't have the best timing, but I'm sure your roommate can show you St. Miator tomorrow." Yaya turned around, with Hikari on her arm.

"Come on, then, Serin-chan!" Hikari chimed, smiling at Serin.

Serin, a bit befuddled, took a second before nodding, and following obediently behind her new friends from St. Spica. After walking a few moments, she sighed. _"So, those __would__ have been my uniforms..."_ Her face fell as her thoughts penetrated through her expression.

"Hey, Serin-chan?" Serin lifted her eyes as she heard Hikari's voice. "We're here."

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_Significantly shorter than the last part of the chapter, but hopefully sufficient enough for any readers. I know it's still not exactly fast-paced, but I promise the next chapter will hold a thing or two of particular interest! Tamao should make her appearance in the next chapter, for any of her fans.  
_

_Serin bids farewell to Shizuma-sama (little does she know of the status Shizuma holds upon Astraea Hill), and wonders why everyone's whispering so avidly about her afterwards. She meets the curvy Yaya, and little Hikari. There are also a few hints here and there about Serin...  
_

_Please bear with me, and thanks for reading! xo_


	3. Apologetic

_"Oh, Serin-chan, I wish we could show you the way so you don't get lost again-" The worry in the blue-eyed angel's voice was nothing short of adorable. Konohana Hikari, the doll of St. Spica._

_".. But it's almost time for dinner, and Miator resides in a separate hall from us. We'll see you in a while, okay? Think you can manage?" Yaya had spunk and the body to match._

As Serin walked down what she supposed was Miator's hall in the Strawberry Residence, she thought back on her parting with newfound friends, Hikari and Yaya. _Friends_. Could they be called just that? She'd met them not fifteen minutes ago. Serin looked down at her watch. 6 P.M.. She then wondered what time dinner was, and where that would be. Sighing, she scanned the numbered doors for the room number she was assigned. To say she felt like a fish out of water would be an understatement. Serin felt as though she was grappling around in the dark, lost as to where she was, or what she was to do. Silently, she cursed under her breath. Her sister was vile: things could have been so different, just as Serin had imagined them. But no, this wasn't what she had imagined her first day at Miator would be like. In fact, up until a few months ago, she hadn't put the slightest thought to Miator at all. But now she was here, and that was that. She could do nothing about it. As she walked down the halls, her mind wandered, going over the events of the day thus far. Her thoughts drifted over Hikari, and Yaya; the gossiping girls, the beautiful nature of Astraea Hill; her reluctant driver, and... The first person she'd met upon her arrival.

_Hanazono Shizuma._ She was extravangantly beautiful, to say the least. Serin wondered if all the girls on Astraea were physically attractive, in some way. _"Maybe the beauty of the hill falls down upon the girls here..."_ Serin's mind continued to linger on the silver-haired gem she'd meet earlier that day, until she finally reached her destination. She stood in front of the door for a while, looking down at a paper she'd retrieved from her bag, and back up at the door. She remained standing for a while, her nerves writhing about inside her once more, making yet another appearance. She sighed, and, with determination, reached out for the door handle, and turned it.

A hot shower was exactly the thing needed after what seemed like a long day: and it wasn't even over yet. Fourth year Suzumi Tamao sighed; she wished she could remain in her dormitory's bathtub forever. The temperature of the water was scalding, yet refreshing, and the blue-haired girl coaxed it to relieve her of her stress, and worries. But, even after about two months, she was still troubled...

She knew she'd been in the shower a bit long, and dinner should be soon. Tamao contemplated whether she wanted to attend or not, but figured she'd surely be punished if she missed yet again. A part of her didn't care much: the part that had left with her happiness two months ago. But her stomach grumbled angrily in protest, and though she didn't feel geared towards food, she knew she was hungry. Sighing, she reached for the faucet handle, and the water flowing from the shower-head slowed to a trickle, then a few drops, then stopped entirely. She wrung out her long, azure hair, and stepped out of the bathtub. Dark, violet eyes watched swirls of steam wrap around her and caress her body. She deeply wished it was the arms of her beloved. _"Where are you..."_ She looked at the ground, at the wet towel she stood on. A second later, she heard the opening of the door. The dormitory door. _Her_ dormitory door.

Tamao's face and spirits lifted instantly, soaring as high as they'd been in a while. Excitedly, she reached for a towel, fumbling as she wrapped it about her slim figure, tucking the corner in the wrap so it would hold itself on her body. She sprinted for the bathroom door, slipping a bit as she reached for the handle. She threw the door open, and flung herself out of the bathroom, with arms wide open. "Nagisa-chan, you're back!" She shouted delightfully, throwing herself on the girl who'd entered the room.

"Wha-" Serin turned in a moment to see a whir of blue, white, and the color of skin rushing towards her, but had no time to react. She felt herself being tackled, and in her surprise, yelped as she was knocked to the ground. She attempted to catch her fall, but instead landed on her shoulder. Recovering from the attack, Serin attempted to gather just what was going on.

"Oh, Nagisa-chan, I knew you would return! Oh, you've gotten so thin, whe-" Serin's attacker cut off her sentence abruptly as she got a look at who'd she'd hugged and tackled over. Her violet eyes grew wide with shock, as she looked at the girl who'd she never seen before in her life. Chestnut hair, bright green eyes, fair skin... "You're not.." Tamao's voice rasped, ".. Nagisa..." She finished, the surprise still clearly evident on her face.

The crazed girl's eyes staring straight into Serin's own made Serin feel unbelievably uncomfortable. She cringed a bit, tugging herself out from under the girl's body, who had nearly pinned her to the floor. She supported herself up on her right arm, but winced, as she'd landed on her shoulder, and it hurt to put her weight on it. "Uh, no..." She didn't know what to say, she didn't know who this girl was, or what she was talking about. The girl's blue hair, quite pretty, was soaking wet, droplets of water falling from the girl's strands onto Serin's body and her clothes. The girl's skin was wet too, and Serin noticed she was in a towel. She took in the girl's hair, her face, her violet eyes, her shocked expression, and... Her exposed body. Emerald eyes widening, Serin pulled herself back, attempting to point at her violet-eyed attacker. "Your.." She breathed, turning her head away, in order to avert her eyes. She gradually scooted out from under the girl, finally succeeding. Serin stood up, and moved a few steps away, brushing herself off. _Wasn't this just a bit awkward._ "Uhm.." Serin started, now looking down at the back of the girl, towel draped over her crouching figure. She hadn't moved, but Serin could see she was clutching the wet towel to her chest. Wet strands of blue were haphazardly sticking to the girl's skin, and hanging over her face. "I'm Oshiro Serin..." Serin offered, her voice low and her demeanor awkward. "I just transferred here..." She trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry..." Tamao finally found her voice, though it croaked through her lips as she choked back her tears. She gazed at the floor, breathing in short, shallow rasps. Her chest throbbed emptily, her spirits were crushed. "Could you give me a second, please, let me gather myself." She forced out a sentence to excuse herself from the current situation. She was still on all fours, on the floor, her skin still glistening with droplets from her shower.

"Uh, yeah-" Serin paused, "Yes, of course." She nodded, and stepped backwards, reaching for the door. She felt the handle after a few steps, and, pushing downwards, opened it and exited the room. She closed it softly behind her, and let her hand linger on the handle for a second, before letting it fall down to her side.

She looked up, still feeling very, very confused. _"What the hell was that?"_ As she waited silently outside the door, she heard movement and broken sobs from within the dormitory room.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_So, a bit short, but I couldn't wait. As you can see, most chapters are probably going to be broken up into several parts. I'm still getting into the flow of things on here, so maybe I'll mash them all up together later: we'll see._

_Serin meets the lovely (and anxious) Suzumi Tamao, though not in the most graceful manner of greeting. A bit of useful information: the (traditional) Japanese academic term is divided into a trimester: with first term from April-July, with a summer break that varies. We'll say the summer break is in June. The second term lasts from early September, until mid-December, with a Christmas/New Year's break of 2 weeks at the end of December/beginning of January. Lastly, the third term is from January-March, with a week-long spring break in the middle of March. The graduation ceremony is held at the end of March, and the new year begins with first term in April._

_Assuming Aoi Nagisa transferred in May of the current school year's first term, Serin has arrived 4-5 months after Nagisa. Nagisa's whereabouts will be explained later._

_Again, thanks for reading! R&R, if you'd be so kind. xo_


	4. Apologetic: II

_6:37 P.M._

Irises that encompassed the color of the transforming emerald leaves that graced the glorious trees of Astraea Hill watched as girls passed by, usually walking in numbers down the second-floor hallway of Miator's dormitory corridor. Though Oshiro Serin's spirits were still high in hope, the day's events had dulled her. Things hadn't gone as planned today, at all. She sighed ruefully, and watched as yet another trio of girls clad in traditional, conservative (though cute, Serin had to admit) catholic school uniforms trotted on by. She'd seen quite a few girls go down this hall, and figured the black dresses must be the uniform belonging to her school. _Miator's uniforms were cute, but..._ She sighed. She'd look so well in the pristine, sophisticated dress of Spica. But wearing such a uniform would be but a dream for Serin now; she was a student of St. Miator.

She'd stepped away from the doorway to wait upon her roommate's appearance, and stood stiffly against the wall, by the door. Some gave her passing glances, sometimes accompanied by whispers. Serin pouted, furrowing her brow. Was she an object of gossip already? Was it because she was a transfer, or had she already done something embarrassing? _"Oh, Serin, you've got it out for yourself now. People are already talking, by tomorrow you'll be a demonized slut and no one will want to touch you, and you won't be allowed within the church because of what people are saying."_ She dipped her head, and rubbed her temples with her fingers as her mind raced off with other anxious thoughts.

The sound of approaching footsteps cut her short, and, blinking, Serin looked up, and to her right. She made out two figures, but having her eyes closed shut as tightly as she did, she had to rub them for her vision to come back into focus. By the time she did so, the figures were closer, and she recognized only one of them as the one and only silver-haired beauty she had met earlier that day. It was almost 7 o' clock; had they only met two hours ago? Serin's mind whirred, and her breath caught in her throat as the girl turned to look at her. The girl smiled slightly, in acknowledgment, and Serin's mind scurried away from her, dragging the silver-haired girl's name along with it. Just as Serin's luck would have it, the girl and her companion stopped in front of Serin, looking upon her.

"Hello." The voice of silk wove it's way downwards and into Serin's ears, dancing among her being.

Serin looked upwards at the girl, for she was significantly taller. Her emerald eyes washed over the beauty, from the points of the girl's black heels to tips of her silver tresses, to the porcelain face that seemed without flaw, Serin's eyes coming to rest on the other girl's own. Serin inhaled sharply as she made eye contact with the forest green irises that seemed so deep, so obscuring. She found she couldn't move her gaze away, and felt uncomfortable in being in such a state. _"Her eyes have so much depth, it's as though her soul has no end... Why can't I remember her name?"_ And, as her mind came trotting back to her with thoughts of Astraea's beautiful trees and landscape, it brought with it the girl's name.

"Hanazono..." Serin's voice found itself, and trickled out of her lips like water from a stream, "... Shizuma." She finished.

The girl accompanying Shizuma, a shorter (yet still considerably tall) lifelong friend, with short, dark blue hair (almost like her roommate's, yet darker, Serin noted later) and hardened topaz eyes, seemed to be startled at Serin's words, a look of slight incredulity passing upon her face. Serin could see this girl out of the corner of her eye, yet still seemed lost within Shizuma's. She noticed Shizuma step forward, but then the blue-haired girl spoke. "It's time for dinner, Shizuma."

At this, Shizuma stopped her approach on Serin, her hands on the fourth-year's shoulders, much to Serin's surprise. The silver-haired beauty nodded, and looked towards her friend. "We should be going, then." Shizuma turned and proceeded to leave, giving one last glance to Serin before continuing down the hall. Serin noticed that her friend also looked over at her one last time, as well. Feeling a bit self-conscious, Serin flushed and looked away, stiffening a bit against the wall.

"Her friend is a bit intimidating..." She mumbled, looking down at her shoes. She then realized how much she must have obviously stuck out since the time she arrived here, because of her clothing. She wasn't wearing normal uniform attire like the rest of the girls - in fact, she hadn't gotten her uniform yet at all, and reminded herself one needed to be ordered - but she was still donned in her light, cornflower blue sundress and white buckle shoes. _"No wonder they've been whispering..."_ She thought dejectedly. She didn't like to attract too much attention to herself, but sticking out like a sore thumb wasn't going to do much in passing her by unnoticed. She needed a uniform, and soon.

Serin jumped as she heard the clicking of the mechanics within the doorhandle, and watched as the door opened. The blue-haired girl who'd attacked her earlier stepped out silently, clad in the black Miator dress uniform. Serin noted that she looked a bit solemn, and quickly felt unsure of herself, or what she should say. But, before Serin could say anything, the girl seemed to compose herself, and the look on her face looked as if it lifted to a mood that was considerably higher than the one she must have been in not minutes ago. Serin couldn't help but smile weakly in return.

"Hi, I'm sorry, I'm sure you weren't expecting that." The blue-haired girl flushed a bit, closing the door behind her and facing Serin. She frowned a bit as she took a better look at Serin: Serin, in response, winced a bit at the uncomfort she felt from being scrutinized by strangers. "Oh, I must have given you a fright." The girl's voice seemed lace with apology, to which Serin only nodded slightly. "I'm really very sorry," She apologized once more, "I.. I was just expecting someone else..." Her eyes dropped, and a look of guilt settled upon her face.

Serin raised her hands as if surrender, and laughed a bit uneasily. "Oh, no, it's okay." She offered, "Don't worry about it, no harm done." She smiled, twirling around a couple of times, and waving her arms a bit. "See? Perfectly fine." Though she didn't want to admit, her shoulder hurt just a bit more than "perfectly fine". But, she wasn't about to make this girl feel any worse than she already seemed to feel. "Listen," Serin's voice softened as she bent down and tried to look at the girl's face, "Let's just start over, okay?" Smiling, she clasped her hands together, and straightened her stature. "My name is Oshiro Serin, fourth year at St. Miator Girl's Academy." She announced, a bit loudly. "I'm really excited and nervous to begin my year here, but I'm looking forward to it." She added, a bit quieter.

The blue-haired girl had looked up at Serin, and now giggled lightly behind her hand that she raised to her lips. Nodding, she spoke, "It's nice to," She paused, "... Formally meet you, Oshiro-san." Smiling, she went on. "My name is Suzumi Tamao, and I'm a fourth-year as well, and, apparently, you are my new roommate." Her happy expression faltered a bit at the end, and a pang of guilt shot through Serin.

_"Does she not like me already?"_ Serin wondered, but she saw Tamao's face brighten back up after a second. Smiling in return, Serin spoke. "Serin, is fine. It's nice to meet you, Tamao-san." She bowed slightly, formally.

"It's also a pleasure to meet you, too, Serin-chan." Tamao smiled, bowing in return. "I'd love to talk more, but it's already time for dinner, and if we're late we'll be scolded for interrupting." She shrugged, as if apologizing for the rules. She held out her hand, and spoke, "If you've only just got here, I'm sure you must be hungry. Let's go?" She offered, a generous smile upon her features.

Serin was a bit taken aback, to say the least. This girl was naked, on top of her, and broken down into tears, only minutes ago. But now, she was perfectly composed, and even offering a hand to her. Though she was still a bit perturbed by her roommate, and the happenings at Astraea so far in general, Serin took Tamao's hand, allowing herself to be led down the corridor only in favor of her grumbling stomach. As she was led behind the girl, Serin couldn't help but feel some sort of admiration, and uneasiness. She really hoped their meeting wouldn't put a dent in any potential friendship between them: one of Serin's greatest fears upon coming here was an unhealthy establishment between her and her future roommate. Serin bit her lip, and walked by Tamao, eying her from the corner of her vision.

"Hey, Tamao-san?" Serin moved her eyes forward as Tamao glanced at her.

"Yes?"

Serin bit her lower lip, and reconsidered her words. "Where do I get a uniform?" She looked down hopelessly at her dress.

Tamao smiled, chuckling lightly. "I can take you to order one tomorrow, if you'd like. It's too late to go order today."

Serin nodded, and remained quiet until they reached the dining hall.

Every nerve within Serin's body told her to turn tail and run away upon entering the dining hall. It took all of her willpower, and a bit of quiet reassurance from Tamao, to keep Serin from listening to her body and running away. As soon as Tamao opened the doors before her, everything seemed to fall completely quiet, and Serin could feel hundreds of pairs of eyes on her. After she'd braved the first few steps inside (behind Tamao, of course), the voices seemed to ebb and flow once again, but she still felt the heat of people staring, or looking. She held onto Tamao's arm, and Serin realized this must have been too forward, but she couldn't help it. _"Quit being so informal, Serin."_ She cursed, _"People are going to think yo__u have no etiquette."_ But she couldn't bring herself to let go, and continued to grip her roommate's arm as if it were a lifeline.

"Hey, Hikari!" Sitting at one of the tables reserved for Spica, Yaya poked her best friend in the side. "Look! There's Serin-san." She pointed, and Hikari's blue eyes followed the direction of Yaya's slim finger. Serin noticed, and upon seeing them, smiled in recognition. Yaya and Hikari returned the smile, and waved cheerfully.

"Oh, Tamao-san, look, there's someone I know-" Serin let go of her grip on Tamao's arm, and reached out to move in the direction of the Spica tables, to go over to Yaya and Hikari. She blinked in surprise, though, when she felt a hand grab her and pull her back.

"No, Serin-chan! You can't go sit over there." Tamao spoke, "The schools have to sit with their own respective students," She wagged a finger at Serin, "And, besides. You must meet the Etoile before anything." She smiled.

"..Etoile..?" Serin knew the word meant 'star' in French, for she had a basic understanding of the language, but didn't have a clue as to what Tamao meant. "What's the Etoile?" She questioned, confusion on her features.

"You didn't do much research before coming here, did you?" Tamao chuckled. "The Etoile is the most famous girl on Astraea, loved and respected." Tamao nodded. "She's a student representative for all three schools."

"We follow that kind of system?" Serin couldn't help but ask, and bit back on her own tongue. _"Really, Serin, quit being so rude!"_ Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at her question. Tamao only laughed.

"It's not dictatorial, Serin-chan!" She laughed. "She's just a mediator, and someone for the girls to look up to, is all." She smiled. "Come on!" Locking arms with Serin, Tamao led the way forward, through the aisles between Miator tables. She finally reached her destination, and pulled Serin forward. "Excuse me, she's here to meet Etoile-sama." Tamao spoke to two girls who were standing at a table, one with short fuchsia-colored hair, and another with longer, darker hair. They smiled slightly, nodded, and moved aside to reveal-

"Shizuma-san!" Serin blurted out, and quickly covered her mouth with her free hand as quite a few heads turned to look at her, including the one that belonged to the girl of whose name she so impolitely shouted.

Shizuma was sitting down, and her blue-haired companion was standing beside her chair, the girl's topaz eyes now piercing through Serin's very being. _"How scary..."_ Serin though, her face flushing a deep red in embarrassment. Collective whispering could be heard about the room, along with the fadings of audible gasps.

"How dare you-!" Shizuma's companion began, angrily, before being cut off.

"It's okay, Miyuki." Shizuma's voice, calm and unwounded, spoke out from her fair lips. She accompanied her words with a gesture, waving off her companion. The blue-haired girl clenched her jaw, and looked down at Shizuma in surprise, but backed off nonetheless. Shizuma rose from her seat, stepping closer to Serin. She said nothing, but looked down at the fourth-year, a calm smile resting upon her face.

"Uhm.." Serin didn't know quite what to say at all. She wasn't sure of what she was to be doing, so she averted her eyes, and gave Tamao a pleading look. The girl must have caught it, because Tamao grasped her arm reassuringly and helped Serin take a step forward towards Shizuma.

"Serin-chan, this is the Etoile." Tamao whispered, though she was still baffled as to how Serin knew Shizuma's name. "_Etoile-sama_." She whispered again, to give Serin emphasis on what Shizuma was to be called, with proper respect, so Serin wouldn't stumble over her words again and create an uproar.

Nodding, Serin swallowed a forming knot in her throat, and exhaled deeply. Though she was still very confused, she spoke. "I am fourth-year Oshiro Serin. It's a pleasure to meet you, Shi-" She paused, and looked over at Tamao, who was staring worriedly at her. Moving her eyes back to the silver-haired girl that stood before her, she corrected herself. "... Etoile-sama." She bowed, deeply and formally. It was all she could do to keep from collapsing: she was so nervous, she felt her legs were going to buckle and give out at any given moment. She stood back up straight, checking that her posture was refined.

"Welcome to Astraea Hill and St. Miator, Oshiro Serin." Shizuma nodded, and bowed slightly. She looked at Serin for a few seconds, a mocking smile on her face. This made Serin uneasy, and she made her scurried retreat with Tamao to whichever seats were available for dinner. As they sat, the students commenced into prayer, led by the Etoile, and were encouraged to eat afterwards.

Serin, though hungry, felt uneasy, and could only poke at her plate. _"Jeez, what is up with this place?"_ She thought. Nothing had gone quite smoothly at all. She sighed, putting a forkful of greens delicately into her mouth, and chewing slowly. She could still feel eyes on her and hear the whispered gossip about the otherwise noisy room.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_Chapter 2, Part 2! And I'm already not sure where I'm going with this... I'm still fleshing out Serin, trying to make her her own character, though I don't exactly know all her attributes yet. She tends to put her foot in her mouth quite a lot, though... And, she also has some tendency to keep things irrevocably formal, at least upon first impression._

_This was originally intended to be ShizumaxOC, and I'm still thinking it's going to be: so if that's not what you want, well, I'm sorry, haha. But I'm just sort of seeing how this plays out as I go. The next chapter should include Serin and Tamao, and possibly explain Nagisa's whereabouts. If you like it, I'm glad: If you don't, well, again, I'm sorry, haha. I'm trying not to make Serin resemble Nagisa, but it's weird writing fanfic while watching the series. Too many canon feels mixing with OC feels._

_Again, thanks for reading, and R&R if you'd be so kind! xo_


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